Western Maine Dogsledding & Cross-Country Skiing

Baltimore Cheasapeake Bay Outward Bound
Baltimore, MD, United States

Course Format: Classroom | E-learning | Virtual Class | Online | On-site | Blended | Self-paced

Course Description:

'' Drive a team of expert dogs. Ski through forests shrouded in snow and ice and experience what is known as ¡°the great white silence¡±. Sleep beneath the winter stars at night and while you marvel at the magnificent Northern Lights. Begins in Newry, ME.
Course Area

Your winter expedition takes place in or around the Carter-Mahoosuc mountains, just east of the White Mountain National Forest, or on the Rangely Lakes: Cupsuptic, Mooselookmeguntic, and Umbagog. Western Maine is a land of pristine lakes and snowbound pines. This course area was once covered by ice-age glaciers, which sculpted interconnecting lakes and granite cliffs. Winter in western Maine is mesmerizing, peaceful and exhilarating. It is a place of bracing cold air, glowing warm embers, intense silence and solitude.

The Expedition

You don¡¯t need to have previous winter camping experience. We will teach you everything you need to know to travel comfortably ¡ª- how to dress for warmth, how to sleep warmly and how to pack, basic winter physiology, cross-country skiing, dog handling, and ice reading. Your course will begin at our Mountain Center base camp, where you will get a basic introduction to winter travel, then you will quickly journey out into the backcountry, where the real winter magic takes place.

On expedition, you¡¯ll navigate a route over frozen lakes and rivers and across snowmobile trails. You¡¯ll develop your skills in cross-country skiing, winter camping, managing and mushing the dogs, and controlling the sled. Each ¡°patrol¡± (6-10 students and 2 instructors) will take two dog teams (5-8 dogs) out on expedition. One instructor will mush with three students each day, while the other instructor and the remaining students ski to the next day¡¯s campsite. Students take turns mushing and skiing throughout the course, so that everyone learns to master the skills associated with each mode of travel. Mushing involves controlling sled speed and direction, while using voice commands to direct the dogs. Skiing involves learning to balance and glide on ¡°free-heel¡± cross-country skis while carrying a 30 lb. pack on your back.

The skiers typically leave camp after breakfast, carrying their own warm clothes and lunches in their packs. While they hit the trail, the day¡¯s mushers clean up breakfast, take down the tarps, and pack up camp. Most of the ¡°group gear¡± (stoves, tarps, food, etc.) is loaded into the sleds, which are pulled by the dogs. The mushers load onto the sleds in teams of two and start off down the trail. With 5-8 dogs pulling, the mushers soon overtake the skiers and beat them to camp. The mushers then set up camp and get hot water ready for the skiers, who will arrive ready for a hot drink. If time allows, the mushers might even drop off a load of gear at camp and mush back to relieve the skiers of their packs!

Both mushing and skiing are hard work. Mushing frequently requires that you run alongside the sled, sometimes helping the dogs haul the load up a hill. If the sled hits rough ice or goes into a snowdrift, the mushers must pull the sled back upright. Skiing requires that you carry 30 lb. -¡ª or sometimes heavier¡ªpack on your back all day long as you kick and glide to that night¡¯s campsite. Hard physical exercise is an integral part of winter travel, though, because exercise helps you stay warm.

The instructors¡¯ goal is to teach you the skills you need to become self-sufficient in the backcountry. The instructors will spend the early days of the course helping you master winter backcountry expedition skills, coaching you as you learn. As you grow more competent and confident with your skills, the instructors will ask that you take more responsibility for the leadership of the expedition. Neither guides nor counselors, the instructors are teachers and mentors whose goal it is to train you to travel independently in the backcountry.

Winter Living

With our training and equipment, you¡¯ll find you can live comfortably in cold temperatures. You will learn how to work with your own body heat to stay warm, how to eat foods that keep you warm, and how to regulate your body temperature using clothing layers and exercise. As you travel, you may find that your ideas about ¡°comfortable¡± temperatures may shift. Warm days often mean slushy snow and slow skiing and sledding -¡ª cold days may mean smooth skiing on crisp, fast snow.

Setting up a snug winter camp takes time, energy, and teamwork. In the late afternoon, you¡¯ll look for a sheltered spot with good firewood. As you set up camp, your group will divide duties -- caring for the dogs, setting up tarp shelters, constructing a kitchen area, cooking, and locating, sawing and splitting wood for the evening fire. Once the dogs are fed and watered, the humans gather around the fire and the cook stoves to prepare the evening meal and plenty of hot drinks.

You will typically sleep under tarps that sleep 4-5 people. Frequently you will cut snow blocks to form walls that will block any wind or blowing spindrift. Depending upon snow and weather conditions, you may learn to build an igloo or other types of snow shelters, but these types of shelters are quite time-consuming and require particular snow conditions; usually we choose to spend our days traveling, rather than building.

Student Independence

There will be times on this course when you will not be directly supervised by instructors. This will include time around camp cooking or setting up tarps, sleeping, and solo. Outward Bound has found that a degree of independence is an effective educational tool and we expect that all students come to this course with a willingness to learn skills and practice them without instructor supervision, either alone or with other group members.

Weather, Remoteness, and Other Challenges

Winter travel is demanding. Past students and instructors agree that arriving physically fit will enhance your experience and ability to do well on the course and ultimately allow you to take full advantage of the expedition.

Weather in western Maine is never predictable and winter is no exception. Daytime temperatures can range from just below zero to above 30, while nighttime temperatures can fall to the -20s. Rain, wind, sleet, and snow are all common and you will learn to travel in just about any conditions; we rarely take ¡°layover¡± days due to bad weather. Winter travel revolves around staying warm and the weather simply provides another challenge on the expedition.

You will be traveling in a remote area. While each course carries a cell phone for emergency communication, coverage in the backcountry is limited and there is no guarantee that the phone will work from any given location. Medical evacuations may take up to a day.

A consistent theme in our instruction is identifying and managing the risks of travel in remote areas. The instructors are trained in first aid, search and rescue, and emergency management, but they cannot guarantee your absolute safety¡ªyou must take a certain amount of responsibility for your own well-being. You should come to your course prepared to work hard, take responsibility for yourself, and master the skills taught on the expedition.

Each course is as unique as the individuals who form the group. Your course itinerary may vary, depending on weather and snow conditions and the skill level of your group.

Solo

Weather and time permitting, an overnight solo provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition. With sufficient food and equipment, you¡¯ll spend time alone at an assigned campsite to rest, reflect, and practice the campcraft skills you have been learning throughout the course. You will build a fire to keep warm, to cook food, and dry clothing. We choose your solo site to offer as much solitude as possible, within hearing distance of other group members.

Packs and ...''

Phone:410-448-1721

School Address:

1900 Eagle Drive - Leakin Park
Baltimore, MD 21207
United States
410-448-1721
baltimore@hurricaneisland.org

Jobs & Resumes: Baltimore
Houses & Roommates: Baltimore

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